By:  Patterson                                         S.B. No. 653
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
                                        AN ACT
    1-1  relating to the exemption of persons having an active interest in
    1-2  legislation and the results of administrative action from
    1-3  registering with a state entity.
    1-4        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-5        SECTION 1.  Section 305.004, Government Code is amended as
    1-6  follows:
    1-7        Section 305.004 Exceptions
    1-8              (6)  a person whose only compensation subject to
    1-9  Section 305.003(a)(2) consists of reimbursement for any wages not
   1-10  earned due to attendance at a meeting or entertainment event,
   1-11  travel to and from the meeting or entertainment event, admission to
   1-12  the meeting or entertainment event, and any food and beverage
   1-13  consumed at the meeting or entertainment event if the meeting or
   1-14  entertainment event is attended by a member of the legislative or
   1-15  executive branch and if the total cost of the meeting or
   1-16  entertainment event is paid by a business entity, union, or
   1-17  association; <and>
   1-18              (7)  a person who communicates directly with a member
   1-19  of the legislative or executive branch on behalf of a political
   1-20  party concerning legislation or administrative action, and whose
   1-21  expenditures and compensation, as described in Section 305.003,
   1-22  combined do not exceed $5,000 a calendar year; and
   1-23              (8)  a member of a chamber of commerce who only seeks
    2-1  to communicate with members of the legislature or executive branch
    2-2  to influence legislation or administrative action on behalf of
    2-3  another member of the same organization.
    2-4        SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect on September 1, 1993.
    2-5        SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
    2-6  condition of the calendars in both houses create an emergency and
    2-7  an imperative public necessity that the constitutional rule
    2-8  requiring bills to be read on three several days in each house be
    2-9  suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.